Head Over Heels
by Fanatical Writer
Summary: When Penelope and Derek meet up at a hometown event, sparks fly.
1. Chapter 1

_Just a short prologue to get us started on the next Derek and Penelope saga. This might come as a shocker, but this one is AU. LOL_

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

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><p>"Anyway," Derek heard his younger sister, Desiree say. "We caught up on Facebook, and she told me that she's going to be in town this weekend. It's her nephew's first high school football game, too and her brother conned her into coming." She turned to look at Derek. "My kid OK?" she asked.<p>

Derek grinned. "He threw up," he informed his sister. "But I've done that plenty of times before a big game."

Desiree winced. "My poor kid."

"He'll snap out of it," Derek assured her as he opened the fridge to grab a bottled water.

"I hope so." She turned back to their mother. "So Penelope and I are going to get together at some point this weekend catch up."

Derek's head snapped around. "Penelope?" he said.

Desiree nodded. "Yep. Penelope Garcia. I don't think you ever met her."

"Awww," her mother said. "I always liked that girl. Such a sweetheart."

As luck would have it, Carter chose that moment to come into the room. "Ready, Uncle D?" he asked.

This wasn't a conversation he wanted to miss, but unless he wanted his skeletons unearthed, he didn't have a choice. He reached over and ruffled his nephew's hair. "You too lazy to say my full name now?" he joked.

Carter grinned at him. "Just tryin' it out."

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><p>Derek watched as Carter headed for the football field, then put the car in park and sat there for a minute. Penelope Garcia was in town? He'd only met her a handful of times, but the girl she'd been had had spunk. And she'd been sexy as sin. If he hadn't been twenty-three to her seventeen at the time, he'd have made a move on her in a heartbeat.<p>

But he was thirty eight now, which meant she was thirty two. And completely legal. _If _she was single.

_It had been one o'clock on a Saturday morning. Derek had been a beat cop back then and he'd skun his knees in a tussle with a thief. Luckily he kept a spare uniform at his mother's house, so he'd headed over in the cruiser for a quick change._

_His mother was working the overnight shift at the hospital, leaving Desiree and Carter alone for the night; this would be a good chance to check in on them. In true older brother fashion, he never stopped worrying about her. He'd unlocked the door in the kitchen and the first thing he heard was Carter laughing, a soft voice talking to him. But it wasn't Desiree's voice. _

_Heading swiftly to the living room to investigate, he pushed the swinging door open and the bluest eyes he'd ever seen had looked up at him. "Who are you?" he demanded._

_She'd narrowed her gaze at him. "Who are you?" she shot back._

"_Derek."_

"_Ahhh…Desiree's older brother. I'm her friend Penelope," she introduced herself._

_She was sitting on the couch with her feet on the coffee table. Her knees were propped up with Carter lying on her bare legs. She'd been wearing the shortest shorts he'd ever seen and a tank top that was a little too snug to be stylish. But it had looked damn good on her. "Where's Des?" he asked._

"_Sleeping." Her gaze fell to the baby, and she couldn't help but smile. "She has to get up with him every night. I figured one time wouldn't kill _me_."_

_He'd liked her immediately, which was unusual for him. But in these past few months, as he'd watched Desiree's friends fall away one by one after she'd had her baby, he'd wished she'd had at least one who had stuck by her._

"_Did you catch a bad guy?" she'd asked, her eyes falling to the tattered fabric on his knees._

"_Yeah," he'd answered with a grin. "I need a change of clothes."_

"_Well you be careful out there on those streets," she'd warned teasingly. "It's usually the good guy who ends up getting hurt."_

_His grin had widened. "How do you know I'm a good guy?" he'd asked, his gaze roaming slowly over her. _

_He'd watched as she'd blushed charmingly, and then he'd left before he'd done something stupid. _

He'd only run into her a few times after that, but damn…the girl left an impression.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews for last chapter, guys!_

_~Angie_

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><p>Derek craned his neck around the bleachers as far as he could without appearing <em>too<em> obvious, and then he checked the sidelines. It was the middle of the second quarter; he hadn't seen Penelope yet, and Desiree hadn't mentioned her. He was getting antsy just to get a look at her. "Where's your friend?" he asked his sister, feigning disinterest.

Desiree turned to look at him. "Penelope?"

"Oh, yes. That was her name," he said, as if he couldn't remember. "I thought you were meeting her here."

"I am. But she texted me earlier. Her flight was delayed, so she's going to be late." Desiree looked at her watch. "She should be here anytime. Did you ever meet her?" she asked as her eyes returned to the field. "Penelope Garcia?"

"Umm…" He pretended to think about it for a moment. "Maybe a few times in passing," he answered.

"I'm surprised you even remember her," Desiree said dryly. "You don't remember any of my other high school friends."

"That's because none of your other high school friends were really friends," he said bitterly. "They split not long after you had Carter. She was the only one who stuck around for you."

Desiree looked at her brother in surprise. "How many times did you say you met her?" she asked.

"Just a time or two," he said again.

Desiree grinned. "She really left her mark, huh?"

Derek chose not to respond to that, focusing intently on the game and his nephew instead.

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><p>Penelope Garcia put her hands in her jacket pockets and with a wistful sigh, she shivered.<p>

"Cold, Penny?" her brother Payton asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they neared the football field.

Penelope laughed. "Not really," she answered. "I was just thinking how much I miss Chicago winters."

Payton's wife turned her head to look at her. "You know what will cure that?" she asked.

"What?" Penelope asked.

"_Spending_ it here."

Penelope laughed again. "I don't miss them _that_ much." She was surprised how much hadn't changed since she'd last been here. Bowen High School was just as she remembered. Structurally, anyway. But it somehow looked smaller to her now, less intimidating than when she'd attended all those years ago.

Aside from her brother, she hadn't seen a single soul she knew. While most of the people _she'd_ gone to school with were too young to have kids in high school now, she hadn't seen anyone she knew from Payton's class, either. "What happened to everyone we knew?" she asked aloud.

"They got out of dodge," Payton answered. "Just like you did, Little Sister. Why don't you set a trend and move home?"

"My life is elsewhere now," she reminded him.

Payton sighed. "Elsewhere, USA. Sounds fabulous," he commented dryly.

Penelope laughed. "If you ever want me to come back again then stop giving me a hard time," she warned teasingly.

"Fine," he conceded. "Oh, look. There's your nephew."

Penelope's gaze followed his pointed finger. "Oh, there he—oh!" she said, her hand flying to her throat as James took a hit. "I forgot how brutal high school football can be."

Payton's wife, Darby, turned to look at her. "Tell me about it."

Penelope absently reached down and wrapped her fingers around the rope that sectioned off the field. Sweeping her eyes across the field for her nephew again, she spied a jersey that read Morgan across the back. She couldn't help but wonder if it was Desiree's son.

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><p>"<em>Thanks so much for watching Carter for me tonight, Derek," Desiree said. He was six months old now, and she hadn't spent a night away from him since he'd been born. Not that she'd be out too late, but still…she'd be without him. She grinned. "Especially on a Friday night. I know how you like to prowl."<em>

"_Not a problem," Derek said, plucking his nephew from his sister's arms. He hadn't been 'prowling' in a few weeks—since he'd met her friend Penelope for the first time, in fact. _

_He wasn't sure what it was…possibly the fact that most women his age were looking for the same thing he was…and it was getting tired. But she'd been young and un-jaded, and he'd found it incredibly attractive. He'd been pathetic—hanging out at his mother's house in hopes of seeing her again, but he hadn't caught so much as a glimpse of her._

"_We won't be out too late," she said._

"_We?"_

"_Yeah—"_

_Desiree was cut off by footsteps on the stairs. "Thanks for letting me change here."_

_Derek's eyes flew to the staircase and he watched as Penelope descended the steps._

"_Every time I get out of work I smell like 'Bubba's', and I can't go out smelling like a restaurant," she said. "Oh." She stopped short when she saw him. "Hello again."_

"_Hello again to you, too." The last time he'd seen her, she'd been sitting. Standing was much better. Standing, she gave him a generous glimpse of her womanly figure. Her curves were incredibly lush despite her age; he could tell by the painted on jeans she was wearing._

"_Ugh," Desiree said studying her friends form. "_This _is why I never wear jeans around you."_

"_Why?" Penelope asked, looking down panicked. "Do they look horrible?"_

"_No," Derek and Desiree said at the same time._

_Desiree gave her brother a dirty look. "They look fantastic," she informed her friend. "It's just that I don't have a curve in sight, and I'm a bit jealous."_

_Penelope laughed. "I am willing to share. I had all I could do to get these jeans up over my—" She'd been about to say hips, but that had just seemed too personal with Desiree's hot older brother standing there. "Ankles," she finished lamely as she felt her cheeks heat._

"_Your ankles?" Desiree asked confused. _

"_Yeah. You ready to go?" Penelope asked quickly._

_Desiree nodded, and without thinking, Penelope walked over to Carter, who was cuddled in his uncle's arms, and gave the baby a soft kiss on the cheek. "Bye, Buddy," she'd said softly._

_He'd gotten a whiff of her scent then, and by the time she'd walked out the front door, he'd been so turned on he couldn't stand himself._

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><p>The boy in the Morgan jersey had just passed the ball to another player in the end zone, and Penelope cheered and clapped with the crowd around her. And then, suddenly, instinctively, she reached her hand up, surprised to find the little hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Her head flew around and scanned the bleachers before landing on a pair of dark chocolate eyes that were fixed on <em>her.<em>

Penelope's breath caught in her throat when she realized her gaze was locked on Desiree's older brother. She hadn't thought about _him_ in years.

He'd done things to her insides that, at seventeen years old, she'd had no business knowing about.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews for last chapter!_

_~Angie_

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><p>There was no doubt in her mind that he'd kept his eyes on her throughout most of the game. She'd felt his stare on her more than once, and she'd had to force herself not to turn around again.<p>

_Derek Morgan. _

Now _there_ was a name she hadn't heard in some time; she hadn't thought about him in just as long. He'd been significantly older than she was and insanely attractive. Not to mention way out of her league. And like her mother had always said…'No use shooting for the moon.'

In a town that hadn't had much in the way of hope, they'd had their 'hometown hero,' Derek Morgan. It had been big news when he'd blown his knee out at Northwestern…a devastation to the entire community.

Penelope shook herself from her reverie, not sure why she was even contemplating his history. After all, she'd just been his little sister's friend whom he'd only met a few times. He probably recognized her, but couldn't quite place her. _That _was why he'd been staring. No other reason, she told herself.

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><p>"Oh, there's Penelope!" Desiree said excitedly, before walking in the direction of her old friend. "Oh…and there's Carter." She came to a halt and turned back around. "Can you give him a ride to Mom's? Penelope and I have lots of catching up to do. I think we'll probably go out for coffee."<p>

Derek nearly went into a head spin at the thought of not seeing the young woman who'd quite effortlessly stolen his heart years ago. "What about dinner?" he asked. It was typical for them to have dinner as a family _after _Carter's football games since he was always so nervous and queasy beforehand.

"I'll grab something while we're out," she assured him.

"It's tradition, Des," he pointed out. "Carter will be devastated. Why don't you invite your friend over? You know mom. She probably made enough lasagna for the entire block."

"That's true," Desiree agreed.

Derek nodded. "OK," he said satisfied. "I'll get Carter and we'll meet you at Mom's."

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><p>"Did you ever meet my brother?" Desiree asked curiously in the car as she and Penelope rode to her mother's house.<p>

"A time or two," Penelope answered.

"Hmm…he doesn't remember any of my friends from high school, but I think he remembers you," Desiree mused.

"Really?" Penelope asked, cursing her foolish heart for skipping a beat.

"When did you first meet?" Desiree asked.

"Umm…I don't really remember," Penelope lied as visions of Desiree's older brother in his torn blue uniform flashed through her mind. She suddenly remembered his eyes wandering over her bare legs and tank top clad breasts; his stare had been so intense she'd practically felt it rake over her skin. _That_ was something she'd forgotten until this moment.

Desiree grinned slyly as she looked at her friend. "Something tells me _he_ does."

She'd never say anything, but ever since Derek had mentioned Penelope earlier this evening, Desiree's heart had leapt. Her brother was thirty-eight years old and still hadn't settled down. And Desiree knew that Penelope hadn't, either. If her friend was similar to the person she'd been years ago, they'd be perfect for each other. But she definitely wasn't going to say a word…no sense in jinxing anything. And she would especially not say anything to her mother!

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><p>Penelope couldn't believe how big Carter was, or that almost fourteen years had passed since she'd graduated from high school. It really put time into perspective to see the young man—all six feet of him—sitting across the table from her wolfing down his lasagna.<p>

"Easy, Kid," came the deep voice beside her. "You tryin' to make yourself sick again?"

"No," Carter said, taking a long drink of his milk. "I'm starving! Did you see how many yards I covered tonight?" he asked with a broad grin. "Couple of more games like that, and I'm gonna break every record you ever set," he goaded his uncle.

Derek mirrored his nephews grin. "I hope you blow every one of them to smithereens," he said sincerely. It was clear from the look on his face that Derek adored his nephew…_that _certainly hadn't changed over the years.

"Don't worry. I will," Carter assured his uncle, and then turned to his mother. "May I be excused?"

"Excused?" Desiree asked. "Do you have hot plans tonight that I don't know about?"

Carter grinned. "Test on Monday."

"Yeah. On _Monday_. It's Friday night," Desiree reminded him.

"Gotta get into WestPoint, Mom," he reminded her.

"Isn't your backpack at home?"

"Nope. Brought it with me."

Desiree shook her head. "You're excused," she told him.

He jumped up from the table, took care of his plate, and then headed upstairs.

"I got the weird kid," Desiree explained. "A few weeks ago, seven boys from the football team were caught drinking in the locker room…Carter was on the bleachers studying."

Penelope laughed. "Good kid."

Desiree nodded. "He sure is." She grinned. "But that's not where I would've been."

"Time to clean up," Fran interrupted, standing up.

Desiree stood as well. "Yes," she said, and then turned to Derek and Penelope. "Why don't you two go on into the living room while we take care of this? We'll be in when we're done here. It shouldn't be long."

"I can help," Penelope insisted, picking up her plate. But Desiree shook her head as she plucked it from her hands.

"You and Derek are guests," she said firmly.

Derek seized the opportunity and disappeared into the living room, leaving Penelope to follow.

"What was that all about?" Fran asked when she was alone with her daughter.

"What was what all about?" Desiree asked innocently, thankful for her mocha colored skin. It hid her red cheeks so very well.

Fran gave her a pointed look and Desiree sighed. "Penelope's single," she told her mother.

Fran grinned. "Enough said."

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><p>Penelope studied the pictures on the mantle for a moment before turning around. When she did, Derek's gaze was on her, unnerving her again. This needed to be cleared up right now. "You probably don't remember me," she started. "I—"<p>

"No," Derek interrupted her. "No, I…I remember you."

"You do?" Penelope asked.

He grinned at her. "You were Desiree's hot friend with the rockin' bod," he informed her.

"Oh," Penelope said in a small voice, her cheeks turning all kinds of red. While she certainly hadn't let herself go over the years, the body she'd had as a teenage girl was long gone. She had a sudden urge to cross her arms over her chest and cover up the rest of her body. That is…until he spoke again.

"I was glad to see _that _hasn't changed."


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Thank-you to everyone who took the time to review last chapter!_

_~Angie_

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><p>Desiree stopped short as she walked into the living room, her eyes looking from her friend to her brother. "What did you do?" she accused.<p>

"What?" Derek asked, tearing his gaze away from Penelope.

"She's not talking. Penelope is _always _talking," Desiree said.

"Thanks a lot," Penelope remarked dryly.

Desiree sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just that my brother has this habit of always saying what's on his mind, and it's not always pretty. Did he say something to offend you?"

"No," Penelope answered quickly. And he _hadn't. _It was extremely flattering to think that Desiree's hot older brother had found her attractive all those years ago, and—according to _him—_now. Apparently the heat she'd felt radiating off from him at the dinner table _hadn't _been all in her head as she'd assumed. That was a relief, as her body had started inexplicably humming in reply.

"OK," Desiree said, but Penelope could swear her friend was unconvinced. "I'm making a pot of coffee. Would you two like some?"

Penelope looked at her watch and it was just past eleven o'clock. Some people might be able to fall asleep after drinking coffee that late at night, but she wasn't one of them. And couple that with the fact that Derek Morgan had just complimented her…well, she was bound to analyze that into the wee hours of the morning. "I'm all set," she said. "In fact, I should probably call a cab."

Desiree frowned. "A cab? That's crazy. I can—"

"Yep. Crazy," Derek interjected. "Especially when I can give you a lift."

"Oh, no," Penelope said, shaking her head. The last thing she needed was for him to drive her home. She'd be waiting for something silly…like him to kiss her or something. And while she might _want _forthat to happen, she wasn't naïve enough to think it would. But what it _would_ do is make for an excruciatingly long drive home. "I don't want to inconvenience you," she insisted.

"It's not an inconvenience," he assured her.

"But—"

"Let me just grab the keys."

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><p>"I couldn't have set it up better myself, Momma," Desiree said with a grin. "It was like Derek walked right into it. And you know Derek…if he'd had any idea we thought they'd be a good pair, he'd have made her walk home."<p>

Fran had to laugh that, as her daughter's assessment was right on.

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><p>"Just so you know," Derek said, not looking away from the road. "You've been inconveniencing me for years."<p>

"Excuse me?" Penelope asked.

Derek looked at her and grinned. "It all started with your legs," he informed her.

"My…legs?" she asked in disbelief.

He nodded. "Yes. The first time I met you, you had Carter in your lap. His back was resting against your bare legs."

"I don't remember that," she said.

"I do," he said. "It was the first time in my life I'd ever been jealous of someone else."

"Be…cause…_you_ wanted my legs?" she asked in confusion.

"Wrapped around my waist," he confirmed.

Disbelieving laughter bubbled up Penelope's throat. "I…I can't believe you just said that."

"Why?" he asked. "I'm sure you've heard worse."

She nodded. "_And _much better. If you're trying to get me into bed—"

"I'm not," he said immediately.

"Are you sure?" she asked. A few short minutes ago, she hadn't even thought he'd wanted to kiss her, but now…she was pretty sure he was shooting for something a little lower than her mouth.

"OK," he admitted. "I _am _trying to get you into bed. Just not right this second."

"I'm confused," she said. "Am I supposed to believe that you've been carrying some sort of torch for me all these years?"

"You can think what you want," he told her, not ready to admit the depth of his feelings, nor the length of time he'd had them without finding out more about her first.

"Well…if it _is_ it true_, _why did you never try to get in touch?" she persisted.

"I believe in fate," he told her with a shrug. "If I was meant to see you again...it'd happen." He waited, but she didn't say anything. "Do you believe in fate?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered quickly. Sweet lord…it was like he was made for her! And…he'd waited all these years just to see her again. Derek Morgan was a patient man…and patient men were _not _a dime a dozen. "Why didn't you…?" She let her voice trail off.

"I was a man of the law," he reminded her. "Why didn't _you_?"

Penelope scoffed. "I had four older brothers. And a whole slew of friends who weren't _really_ my friends, but the 'Garcia Groupies.' At least…that's what I liked to call them. They were so transparent when my brother's were around that it was embarrassing. I would never have let myself be one of those girls."

He nodded slowly.

"But that doesn't mean I didn't notice you," she said in a rush.

He turned to her with a smirk. "Good to know."

The drove the rest of the way in silence, and when they got to Payton's house, Derek put the vehicle in park. "This is you," he said.

She nodded. "This is me," she said quietly, and then, "As selfish as it might be to admit this…I really like the idea of someone carrying a torch for me," she confessed.

"I'm glad I could amuse you," Derek said dryly.

"Oh, no," she said quickly. "In the last few hours, you've made me feel lots of things," she told him candidly. "But amused was not one of them."

He turned to look at her, and her blue eyes…bright just moments before were suddenly dark with passion. "You made me blush…you made my heart rate speed up…you turned my insides to mush with your words…you…" Penelope sighed. "What does a girl have to do to get a goodnight kiss?" she practically barked.

Derek chuckled as he moved across the seat, lowering his hands to rest on her outer thighs as she turned so she was facing him. His lips met hers in a rough kiss, and instead of running just the tip of his tongue against the seam of her lips, he dragged the whole damn thing across them in a pleading effort to get her to open for him.

She parted her lips for him, and his tongue thrust forth but never made it into her mouth as she pushed back with hers to command the kiss. As she moved her tongue against his, he lowered his hands to the hem of her skirt, then reached up underneath to rest on her bare skin, his hands moving in slow, caressing circles as he felt her tremble beneath his touch.

When she moaned, he broke the kiss while he still had the ability and practically jumped backwards. He'd been waiting too damn long for this to go at it with her in his mother's truck.

"Now _that _was worth waiting for," he said huskily.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter!_

_I just want to let you know that I have an idea for an AU story that wouldn't involve the BAU at all. Our favorite agents would have entirely different lives and careers, but before I tackle this, I want to know if it's something you're even interested in. If you'd like to weigh in, feel free to visit my profile and let me know what you think._

_Thanks for reading. Enjoy!_

_~Angie_

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><p>Penelope had barely slept a wink last night, and every time she <em>did <em>find slumber, it had been riddled with dreams of Derek Morgan—not that she was complaining. When she'd woken up this morning, she could still taste him, and if she thought about his kiss long enough, her lips would start tingling again. _That_ wasn't hard to do…the trick was pushing the event (and it _had_ been an event complete with fireworks!) from her mind.

After all, it had been a single occurrence. They hadn't even made plans to see each other again. He _had_ said that kissing her had been worth waiting for…but was that _all _he wanted?

She hoped not…s_he_ hoped it was just the beginning.

With a yawn and a groan she stretched and then swung her legs over the side of the bed. Stuffing her bare feet into her purple fuzzy slippers, she wiped the sleep from her eyes and headed downstairs.

* * *

><p>"It's after ten," Darby said as she walked into the kitchen.<p>

Penelope yawned again. "It is?" she asked groggily. She hadn't looked at the clock. "Coffee?"

Darby pointed to the coffee maker, and Penelope bumped into the stool on her way over. "Owww," she muttered stopping to rub her knee.

Darby laughed. "Have a seat. You're dangerous in the morning. Can't even navigate my kitchen." She grabbed a mug from the cupboard and placed it in front of Penelope, then proceeded to fill it. "There you go."

Penelope sat down on the stool and doctored her coffee. Lifting the mug, she inhaled deeply and then sighed contentedly. "Bless you," she said, then took a long swallow.

Darby frowned. "Did you sleep OK?" she asked.

Penelope shook her head. "Mmm mmm," she told her sister in law.

"I told Payton that mattress was too lumpy," she grumbled.

"The mattress was fine," Penelope assured her. "I had another problem."

"Which was?"

Penelope pursed her lips together in order to hold back the beaming grin she felt coming on. "Do you remember Derek Morgan?" she asked.

Darby laughed as she took the stool across from her. "Who doesn't? He was…charming, to say the least. He always had girls chasing him. But I…" Darby gasped. "Were _you _one of the girls after him?" she asked.

"God, no," Penelope said with a frown. "Definitely not. I saw way too many desperate teenage girls throwing themselves at my brothers to ever stoop to _that_. Desiree, the friend that I met up with last night, is his sister."

"I didn't know that."

Penelope nodded. "Yeah. He was…at the house when I got there, and…he gave me a ride home."

"Really?" Darby said knowingly, giving Penelope an even stare.

"Don't look at me like that!" Penelope said. "You make feel like…"

Darby lifted her eyebrows.

"Stop!" Penelope said with a laugh.

Desiree grinned and took a sip of her own coffee.

"Anyway, we…we met a few times at his house when I was in high school, and…" Penelope sighed. "I honestly never thought much of it, because he was so much older than I was, but…he told me he had a thing for me back then."

Darby's grin widened. "I don't know why you're so surprised, Penelope. You were fun and vivacious. Men love that."

"Am I not fun and vivacious anymore?" Penelope asked.

"No," Darby said thoughtfully. "You _are. _But…you changed when your parents died. You stopped letting people in."

Penelope didn't say anything for a moment, just sat there quietly. "I…you're right," she finally said. "But last night, with Derek…I don't know if it's because he brings me back to a place where I was carefree and young…but I felt more like me than I have in a long time."

Darby grinned. "Then I like him already."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you didn't wear pants," Darby said with a shiver. Payton instinctively wrapped an arm around his wife and pulled her against his side.<p>

Penelope grinned. "Didn't even pack any," she admitted.

"Well, you'd better hope someone asks you to dance and keeps you moving all night long," Darby said.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Penelope said in greeting, as she walked up to Desiree, het sister Sarah, and some other girls she vaguely remembered from high school.<p>

"Hey," Desiree said with a grin. "Penelope, you remember my sister Sarah?"

Penelope nodded as she smiled back at Sarah, and then listened as Desiree named off the other three women: Keri, Amanda, and Jordan.

She returned niceties with the women, and Keri frowned. "How long has it been since you've been to a street dance in late September Chicago weather, Penelope?" she asked.

Penelope grinned. "Since high school," she answered.

"Obviously," Keri remarked dryly. "Or you would have had the good sense to have worn pants."

"I…" Penelope's voice trailed off as her eyes widened in shock. She turned to look at Desiree, and Desiree looked just as surprised as she was.

_I'm so sorry, _her friend mouthed.

Penelope chose to shrug it off. She'd never let anyone belittle her before; she wasn't about to start now.

"Desiree, you didn't tell us Derek was in town," Jordan said, thankfully changing the subject.

"How did you know—"

Desiree turned around to look in the direction Jordan was pointing, and the rest followed suit. There he was…standing across the street talking to a cluster of people.

"Keri, didn't you have a huge crush on Derek in high school?" Jordan asked in amusement.

"I did," Keri said dismissively. "But Derek's always liked older women."

"I thought he dated Bianca Beaton," Amanda said thoughtfully. "She was younger than _you_."

"Yes, well…you see how long _that _lasted," Keri commented dryly.

Penelope tore her gaze away from Derek, her focus returning to the group once again. "I think Derek just likes _women_," Sarah chimed in, and then looked pointedly at Keri. "And I've noticed he prefers them to have a good disposition."

Penelope mentally high fived Derek's older sister as Keri huffily looked away.

They were engrossed in conversation a few minutes later, and Penelope couldn't help but notice that the other woman purposefully ignored anything she said. She had to hold back a grin at that. Obviously Keri didn't realize she was doing her a favor.

"Ladies." His unmistakable voice came from behind.

She turned around and Derek was standing there with a sexy grin on his face.

"Derek," Keri said quickly. "It's so nice to see you again. How long are you in town for?"

"Tomorrow," he answered, not sparing her a glance. "Penelope," he said softly.

"Hello," she returned.

"Would you like to dance?"

With a grin, she stepped down off the sidewalk and took the hand he'd offered her.

She could feel Keri's glare on her back as they made their way to the crowd of people dancing in the street.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: OK, guys. If you've read anything else I've posted lately, you know I've been spending all my spare time moving. I'm almost done…thank God!_

_Here's the latest installment of Head Over Heels. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter!_

_Enjoy!_

_~Angie_

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><p>As soon as they reached the crowd, Derek led her straight into the throng of people…and away from prying eyes.<p>

It wasn't his sisters he was worried about, although, there would certainly be a torrent of questions later.

He'd never been able to figure out what anyone had seen in Keri. She'd put on a good show for the boys in high school, but Derek had seen how she'd treated her 'friends.' He liked to think that it was Desiree's good heart that had kept her on good terms with the other woman—it obviously wasn't her sparkling personality. He'd seen the way she'd glared at Penelope when he'd smiled at her and asked her to dance.

The need to protect her had risen up inside of him before he'd even realized it, and he'd nearly laughed. As if she needed protection from Keri. Something told him Penelope Garcia could hold her own with the petite redhead.

When he was certain they were out of her site, he turned around to face Penelope. She never stopped moving, just continued to advance until her body was flush with his. He looked down at her and returned the smile she gave him before sighing and turning her head so she could lean forward and rest her cheek on his brown leather jacket.

He wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her close, but he resisted the urge. Instead, he let his hands trail down her back until her reached her waist and gripped her lightly as their feet swayed slowly to Toto's _I'll Be Over You_. Her hair smelled like vanilla, and it was soft tucked underneath his chin.

Everywhere her body touched his he was scorching. That made no sense because the damn woman was wearing a skirt, which, while he'd enjoyed the view immensely, he'd chide her for later. It was freezing out here! Even with his jacket and long sleeved shirt he felt the chill. On second thought…maybe he'd scold her now.

"You're going to catch pneumonia," he warned in a voice just loud enough to be heard over the music.

"You think so?" she asked.

"Yes."

She pulled away and looked up at him. "I'm actually still quite warm from the fire in Keri's eyes," she said with a grin.

Derek chuckled at that. "Your eyebrows are probably even a little singed," he teased.

"Yes, well...apparently she thinks you _belong_ to her," Penelope said dryly.

"I can promise you that I do not now, nor have I _ever_ belonged to Keri," Derek said with conviction.

With a grin, she leaned forward once again, and Derek lifted his arms, giving in to the urge to pull her tighter against him.

He was itching to get her alone…though he didn't know what he was going to do with her once he did. For some reason, it was important to him that he not take her to bed tonight. Yes, he was leaving tomorrow, but not before he'd made arrangements to see her again. There was no _way_ Derek Morgan was leaving Chicago without making sure of _that_! Fate had brought her back to him, and he wasn't about to let her go now. Standing here with her in his arms, it felt _right. _He didn't care if he sounded crazy; it was as if he'd been waiting for this weekend his entire adult life.

He'd only ever been in one serious relationship. It had lasted for three years, and while he'd been very fond of Karen, he'd never quite fallen in love with her. When it was clear to her he was never going to propose, she'd left. He'd never been able to bring himself to move in with a woman after that. He didn't want to see that look of sorrow again when they realized it would never go any further than that. And now he knew why.

It wasn't logical…but according to his mother, love never was. He'd given his heart away a long time ago to a girl he'd barely known. He'd fallen hard, and he'd fallen fast. He hadn't even realized he'd _done_ it until he'd kissed her goodbye last night. The hold she had on him was still something he couldn't figure out, but that didn't matter. He only knew that despite the fact that he barely knew her, he was already in love with her.

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><p>"I think we should get a room," Penelope said breathlessly, her head falling backwards to rest on the window as Derek kissed her neck. She'd never made it back to his sister, whom she'd arrived with. Hell, they hadn't even made it inside the vehicle! They were standing on the side of the damn street. Luckily Derek had parked in a spot that was just out of the twinkle of the street lights.<p>

"No," he said softly as he moved lower. He pushed her shirt out of the way, his lips suckling gently on her collar bone.

"We can't do it _here!_" she said.

"I know," he agreed, straightening. "I need to get you home."

"But…" She blinked a few times. "I'm leaving tomorrow," she said quietly.

He nodded. "I am, too."

"I thought you lived _here_."

He shook his head. "I live in D.C."

"Oh," she said in a small voice. The fact that he didn't live in Chicago lessened her chances of running into him the next time she was in town. "OK," she said.

She stood there trying not to fidget as he stared intently at her. "I want to see you again," he finally said.

"You…you do?" she asked, the glimmer of hope making her heart soar.

He nodded as a slow grin spread across his face, leaning forward and resting his forehead on hers. "Preferably _more _of you," he teased huskily.

"I'm offering more of me right now," she reminded him. "_You're _the one refusing." She lifted her leg so her knee came up between his thighs. She moved it gently back and forth over his aching erection. "I could take care of this for you."

Derek's eyes closed as he hissed. "No," he ground out.

"But—"

He opened his eyes and pushed her knee away with his hand, his palm itching to caress her skin. "No," he insisted with a chuckle.

She gave him a confused look.

"I don't want hurried with you, Penelope," he explained in a low voice as wrapped his arms around her. "I want to know that we're going to have more than one night together. I want to know that you're going to be there next to me when I wake up, your soft, sexy legs tangled with mine. I want—"

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly before pulling away. "I want that, too."


End file.
